There's something special that happens this time of year that makes me toss my mittens to the sky in excitement – it's the abundance of great new music at the start of tour and festival season. And The Show Room at the ZACC is in a unique position as a mid-sized venue in Missoula that's run under our overarching mission of 'cultivating community through accessible arts experiences for all', which oftentimes means our touring bands are accompanied by local favorites. We're stoked to be a hotspot for up-and-coming bands to tour and for local bands to play with a wider network of indie bands – thereby generating vital energy to our thriving local music scene. This March, I'm pleased to announce that the ZACC has a mountain of eclectic bills featuring local and touring music acts that will reinvigorate your excitement for our vibrant music scene after a super long and super cold winter.
March in The Show Room is a loud-lovers sandwich, with Montana's liveliest avant-garde rock, noise, and hardcore shows happening at the beginning and end of the month. On Thursday, March 9, bands Panic Boner, Rob Travolta, and Scuba Steve & the Sharks play their highly anticipated show – be there or be unentertained. On Saturday, March 25, Desperate Electric, STiLGONE, and False Teeth take the stage, so you should take to the floor. Goth Ball is back on Friday, March 10, so crawl out of your coffins and dust off those capes, folks. Rock Lotto, presented by the ZACC and KFGM, is back after a three year hiatus on Saturday, March 18 – and is 2/3 sold out as I write this, so get your tickets now, people! And plan on spending that whole weekend at the ZACC, because Rock Lotto is followed by Nu Wave Studios Open Mic (hosted by Coach Shane) on Sunday, March 19 – a totally free opportunity for hip hop artists to experiment with rap in an accessible environment.
On Tuesday, March 14, The Appleseed Cast, an emo-indebted Kansas post-rock band, takes the stage with local support from grunge trio SenterLine, and Worm Womb – a ferocious punk project of Kelsey Star. On Wednesday, March 22, Grocer – a playful bunch of Philly indie rock / chaos pop sweethearts – are swinging through The Show Room on their way to Treefort. This stacked lineup features the youthful local support of pop group Wildlands, and Calamity Cowboy with their head banging, boot scootin' "boot gaze".
And that's not all folks. Palm Sunday brings their dreamy timeless tunes all the way from New Orleans alongside Jonny G's charming Pacific Northwest soft-rock on Friday, March 24, with a special appearance from locals Soft Maybe, who'll be working their jazzy chord progressions and poppy guitarmonies. And last but not at all least, Summer Like the Season plays on Tuesday, March 28, tagging Missoula on their long and winding tour. This experimental pop band puts on a performance unlike anything you've seen. Songwriter and drummer Summer Krinkesy delivers hauntingly epic vocals only comperable to the unhinged talent and stylings of Bjork, all on top of her mesmerizingly bizarre breakbeats. Local openers Modular Haze set the tone with synthy moodiness, and I selfishly plug this bill 'cause my own Bluest is also playing.
So, you heard it here first. And don't forget it. There is no shortage of great music from near and far shaking things up in The Show Room at the ZACC this spring. Come shed a layer, a tear, a stellar dance move or two, and welcome in warmer weather with some of the most exciting new music this corner of the world has to offer.
Noelle
